Beyond Sirens Bay

Chapter 1

Eli and James were coming back from the fish market as per request from their mother. Since winter that year was predicted to worsen and nights were much cooler than days, the brothers were instructed to be home by sundown.

As they walked up the hill to their house that overlooked Sirens Bay, Eli wondered if his older brother often thought of their father at sea. He once had asked if their father purposely accepted jobs in far away lands so that he would be a great distance from their family. James said nothing and kept on gutting the fish. Eli knew his brother resented their father, but he couldn't help feeling some sort of pride. They were the sons of a renowned Beast Hunter after all, or so he was told (which wasn't much).

James looked at his brother who seemed to struggle with the heavy water bucket he carried. "Let me help", James said. A gentle smile graced his lips, and to James's surprise, Eli surrendered him the bucket with little to no fuss. James could feel his little brother's breath begin to stabilize. "You don't need to look so tough all the time", James declared. Eli gave no answer. He kept walking up, in silence.

Once they reached the top, the brothers noticed their sister crying on the steps of the front porch. Eli rushed to her aid, "Lila, what happened? Why are you upset? Did Tristan do something to you?!", Eli asked.

Lila raised her head and wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve, "A letter from Dad's ship came in...he died". Eli felt his body stiff. James seemed to have no reaction whatsoever, uttering one single word "Mom?"

"She's inside with gran and aunt Bea. Just, please, don't make it worse", Eli knew his sister was referring to some other thing, something he didn't know about his father and he clearly wasn't meant to.

"I need to talk to mom!", Eli declared. James carefully placed the water bucket beside Lila and slowly followed him into the living room.

"Oh my boys!", Nameia ran to her youngest son's arms and held him tight. James looked unfazed by the picture depicted in front of him. His mother's loud cry and desperation made him uncomfortable, more so than empathetic. It was at this moment Eli turned to his older brother and confronted him about his apathetic demeanor.

"How can you stand there and say nothing?! How can you be so cold after you lost your father and witness our mother and sister crying helplessly? Tell me how!", it was almost as if Eli's words ricocheted off James's chest and hit him back ten times harder. He pushed his brother against a wall, and demanded to know what was behind James's apathy.

"Eli, stop! Your brother is reacting the way I'd expect him to! It's ok!", his mother yelled as she reached out for his shoulder. Since being distracted by their mother's words, Eli momentarily lifted his hands from James's collar, leading him to go free.

"The world is better off without a man like that walking around", Eli acted without thinking and threw a punch right to James's left cheek. Blood and a tooth fell onto the floor. James adjusted his hair back and left the house, only to come back late in the evening, drunk.

The next morning, Eli found his mother and sister talking in hushed tones while eating breakfast. When he aproached them, Eli's mother gave him a note adressed to him. The note read "Eli, I am sorry for not reacting the way you wanted me to, but please understant that dad's death, to me, was the best thing that could've happend. This way, you, mom and Lila are safe. I am leaving for a few weeks, I need to sort some things out. Help mom in anyway you can and stay out of trouble. I am sorry, but you'll understand some day. I love you."

Eli folded the note and placed it inside his pockett. Nemeia took her hand to her son's face, wiping a tear off his cheek. Lila, kept on eating silently, only looking up to check the time on the wall whatch. 

...

A few weeks turned into 2 years, and soon enough, Eli was 18. He had moved away to the city and gotten a job at an antiquity shop, as a way to pay for college

However, on the eve of his 19th birthday, Eli received a letter with no sender...